Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways is all set to run special ‘Pravasi Bharti’ train services between Allahabad and Delhi in order to ferry delegates of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas from the Kumbh Mela in time for the Republic Day event in the national capital. According to sources quoted in a PTI report, to provide more comfort to delegates, Indian Railways will convert all third AC coaches of the special trains to second AC coaches. During the 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, which will be held from January 21 to 23 in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi, Indian diaspora attending the event will get an opportunity to participate in the ‘Kumbh Snan’, for which the preparations have been made at the Sangam. However, those who wish to participate in the holy bath will have to first register on the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas website till November 15.
According to the website of the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Kumbh Mela will be taking place in Allahabad from January 14 to March 4, 2019, in which the national transporter will be ferrying lakhs of devotees from across the country for their holy dips, the date for the delegates to visit the Kumbh Mela will be January 24. Indian Railways has been instructed by the government to activate its vast resources and also to scale up the deployment of such train services to carry up to 5000 delegates who will be in Prayagraj in Allahabad.
Also, taking into consideration that a large number of people will travel to Allahabad during that period, Indian Railways is likely to increase the frequency of trains between the two cities. The delegates will be provided accommodation at Prayagraj and complimentary dinner and breakfast will be provided to them by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Meanwhile, as heavy fog during peak winters is likely to delay trains on the route, sources said that railway officials are apprehensive about the journey. The shortest distance covered between the two cities is around 630 km and a train takes at least 6 hours 44 minutes to reach Allahabad from the national capital.
A meeting has been scheduled by the MEA for a review of plans for the Pravasiya Bharatiya Divas delegates. The meeting will be attended by representatives of all ministries associated with the event including the Railway Ministry. Indian Railways has been asked to provide information on the number of trains that they will run for the delegates and also they have been asked to lay down a blueprint for the promotion of the national transporter during the event. For the preparations of the mela, centre, as well as the state governments, have allocated a massive budget of Rs 2500 crore. Also, in order to raise awareness about this event, the Union Tourism Ministry is organising roadshows and taking part in events, especially in European countries.